Red Sox sign J.D. Martinez after long pursuit

At long last, it looks like we finally have a winner in the J.D. Martinez sweepstakes. The free agent slugger has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Red Sox.

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Boston Red Sox have finally landed their man, signing outfielder J.D. Martinez. The Red Sox were always thought to be the favorite to get him, but the two sides seemed to be at a stalemate all offseason.

With the Yankees adding Giancarlo Stanton and sporting one of the most powerful lineups in the league, it became important for the Red Sox to try and match New York’s pop. Getting Martinez will certainly help with that.

The addition of J.D. Martinez indeed gives Boston one of the more impressive lineups in the league. Martinez turned 30 years old last August, but 2017 was undoubtedly the best year of his career. Last season, between Detroit and Arizona, he slashed .303/.376/.690 with 45 home runs and 104 RBI, making him the most coveted bat of this offseason.

Over the course of his seven-year career, he’s batted .285 with 152 homers and 476 RBI. Martinez will be slotted in with other power hitters Andrew Benintendi, Hanley Ramirez, Rafael Devers and Mookie Betts.

Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski stated earlier in the offseason that the organization would not be shy about spending money to improve their offense. And now it appears Dombrowski has kept his word.

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J.D. Martinez joining Boston will make the AL East one of the most interesting races of the season. Right now, it looks like it will be a two-horse race between the Red Sox and Yankees.